Keen & Bean
Brouwerij De Molen

 

L- Superficially black but with a halogen torch held on the back of the glass it's revealed (as so often) as ultra-deep ruby red. Perhaps filtered, or poured with almost zero sediment and none apparently left at bottle. 2mm mid-tan head, soon reducing to a partial cap.
S- Oh different, what is that!? I do not read the lable/other reviews before rating a beer, just name/ABV%. It's quite cake-like, like choco-almond + a liquor note, but quite a rich one, not 'hard' like whisky, or sometimes brandy can be.
T- Oh mama! HUUUUGE cocoa, and it's of a more creamy milk chco kind vs dark/dry and more bitter cocoa. I might be getting a nutty aspect too, aromatic, possibly almond? I think so, I get almond's rather nutty-perfume aspect here.
F- Big! But the ABV isn't screaming at your palate, despite being 10.2%; well hidden = quality brewing. It has a pungent feel and that includes a full+moderately rich feel, but zero risk here of it straying off towards over-rich never mind sweet.
O- I'm not sure yet quite sure what the off-piste notes are, I'm guessing choco+almond. Now IME if that combo was in a canned hipster beer it would probably be undrinkable. In fact I had such a beer back 1-2weeks ago. And a reason seems to be you wouldn't get this ABV% (AND hence $$$) in a hipster beer, neither is such likely to be barrel aged ($$$).
I like it, it's interesting and different. Nice for slow-sipping, would work esp. well in winter.... like right now in fact!
330ml bottle £5.50 BB: 16/04/2025 IIRC bought from TremblingMadness/York as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.

Review/rating done... now to read the lable! > choco malt/cocoa nibs [got], coconut [mercifully didn't get], tonka beans [got, they taste of mega cocoa!]. Not too bad... :)